An Enterprise Information Architecture: A Case Study for Decentralized Organizations

As enterprises become increasingly information based, making improvements in their information activities is a top priority to assure their continuing competitiveness. A key to achieving these improvements is developing an Enterprise Information Architecture (EIA). An EIA can be viewed as a structured set of multidimensional interrelated elements that support all information processes. The current ad hoc EIAs in place within many enterprises can not meet their future needs because of a lack of a coherent framework, incompatibilities, missing elements, few and poorly understood standards, uneven quality and unnecessary duplications. This paper discusses the EIA developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as a case study, for other information based enterprises, particularly those with decentralized and autonomous organization structures and cultures. While the architecture is important, the process by which it is developed and sustained over time is equally important. This paper outlines the motivation for an EIA and discusses each of the interacting elements identified. It also presents an organizational structure and processes for building a sustainable EIA activity.